WW considers offers for All-Clad

WATERFORD Wedgwood could realise more than the entire current market capitalisation of the company €244m by selling off its non-core US steel cookware division All-Clad.

Unsolicited offers from at least two potential All-Clad purchasers are being considered by the Tony O'Reilly-chaired WW board for the top-of-the-range maker of pots and pans in the US.

News of the unsolicited offers were contained in a lacklustre trading statement issued by WW, which reported flat like-for-like sales in the final quarter of 2003.